NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College softball team completed a perfect Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference weekend with a pair of victories over Manhattan Sunday afternoon at Donald E. Walsh Field.
In game one, the Gaels picked up a 7-6 victory in nine innings before taking game two 9-5. The two losses were the first for the Jaspers in league play this season, who entered the afternoon with a 10-0 league record.
In game one, redshirt sophomore Christine Costello gave Iona a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a triple to right center, scoring sophomore Ashlyn Morris.
Manhattan evened the score in the top of the third inning, before the Gaels took a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the frame. Senior Allison Hand delivered a solo home run to center field; her fifth long ball of the season.
Iona pushed its lead to five in the fifth inning, when Costello connected on a grand slam, her second in as many days, to left field.
The Jaspers cut the lead to four on an RBI double by Stephanie Reinhardt, before Briana Matazinsky evened the score at six with a grand slam of her own with two outs in the seventh inning.
The Maroon & Gold plated the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sophomore Lauren Filardi opened the frame with a single to left, and Hand followed with one of her own to put two runners on. Morris then placed a grounder to the left side of the infield. When Manhattan tried to make a force at third, the throw got away and allowed Filardi to score the winning run.
Sophomore Sarah McMahon earned the win for Iona, after pitching two hitless innings of relief. Costello allowed six runs, five earned, on six hits and five walks over seven innings in the starting role.
In game two, Manhattan got on the board three times in the top of the first inning. The Jaspers then plated a run in both the second and third frames, taking a 5-0 lead.
The Gaels answered with five runs in the bottom of the third inning to even the game. Sophomore Katie Newton scored on a wild pitch before Costello plated Hand with an RBI single. Junior Sarah Schutz followed with her biggest hit of the day, a three run home run to center field.
Iona took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth. Morris delivered a run courtesy of a single to left field, scoring Newton. Turner and Costello followed with run scoring singles of their own. The Gaels then plated the final run of the game in the fifth, when Turner added her second RBI single of the game.
After McMahon allowed three runs in the first, junior Jordan Courage entered and allowed two runs over six innings to earn her fourt win of the season.
Iona is back in action Wednesday, when it travels to Stony Brook for a single game, beginning at 3:00 pm.